On name power alone, John Tyler versus Longview games are big events.

Players benefit from big crowds in big stadiums, and there's just a little more magic around the hosting campus ahead of two of Texas' most valuable high school football programs meeting head-to-head. But, even then, something has been missing since the 2007 season.

Playoff implications.

The Lions and Lobos will be fighting for their playoff lives when they get together on Oct. 21 at Lobo Stadium in a District 11-6A contest. That propels this particular game to No. 10 as we count down the top 25 best games of the upcoming 2016 regular season.

John Tyler quarterback Bryson Smith, a Houston commitment, is one of five Lions players with college interest ahead of the 2016 season. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
John Tyler quarterback Bryson Smith, a Houston commitment, is one of five Lions players with college interest ahead of the 2016 season. (Rob Graham, ETSN.fm)
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Give John Tyler the preseason edge in this one. Despite its jump to Class 6A for the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 academic years, it brings back 14 starters that made a good run to the Class 5A Division I area round last season.

Five of its guys have NCAA Division I FBS interest ahead of the season and that number is expected to grow with players getting more film clips.

Longview, which also jumped to Class 6A, only brings back four players from last year's run to the 5A Division I, Region II championship game. But one player, safety Traveion Webster, has the same college interest level as John Tyler's guys.

Both teams have been in Longview's current shoes before and have performed just fine. Past accomplishments create huge participation numbers at both schools and experience issues usually are nullified a few weeks into the season.

The Lobos will get battle hardened with good non-district games against Lufkin, Marshall and Dallas South Oak Cliff before beginning the District 11-6A schedule. From there, the squad will face Tyler Lee, Rockwall and North Mesquite before running across the Lions.

They say tradition never graduates. John Tyler and Longview have tradition.

You want passionate fans? This game has it.

You want the rivalry aspect? It's hard for the Lions and Lobos to weigh their accomplishments without using the other program as a measuring stick.

It's a big deal when John Tyler and Longview get together. And it's even bigger when playoff berths hang in the balance.

ETSN.fm’s Top 25 Games of 2016

 

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